• On Wednesday, the State of Wisconsin Building Commission did not approve Marquette's proposal for $10 million in state funds to enact the first phase of construction of a new engineering facility.
• The request to help fund construction of the Discovery Learning Complex had the support of some legislators, but it was withdrawn and never voted on.
• Opponents said the request could open a door to similar requests from private institutions and subtract funding from Wisconsin public colleges and universities.
• The state funds would have combined with $25 million in private donations to fund construction of an 80,000-square-foot building.

Marquette's unsuccessful state funding request for its proposed engineering center sparked debate among legislators last week over which private school projects, if any, deserve government aid.

In a meeting last Wednesday, the State of Wisconsin Building Commission did not approve Marquette's proposal for $10 million to help fund the first phase of construction for the $100 million Discovery Learning Complex.

The request was backed by several legislators on the eight-member commission, including state Sen. Jeffrey Plale (D-South Milwaukee). However, Plale withdrew the Marquette proposal before it came to a vote because it lacked sufficient support, he said.

Had the commission approved the measure, it would have gone to the Wisconsin Legislature for consideration.

Gov. Jim Doyle, who chairs the commission, voiced concerns that granting such a request to a private institution would subtract funding from Wisconsin public colleges and universities, according to Doyle's spokesman, Lee Sensenbrenner. The governor compared Marquette's proposal to $460 million in separate requests for federal stimulus funds made by Wisconsin private colleges and universities several months ago.

No stimulus money went toward those projects, Plale said.

"Opening this door is something we have to be very careful about," Sensenbrenner said on behalf of the governor.

Plale said he does not understand the commission's decision. He said the state has assisted private institutions in similar situations before, such as giving $15 million toward the construction of the Marquette School of Dentistry, completed in 2002.

Plale called Marquette's engineering center a "shovel-ready" project that could put construction crews to work this summer. He said the center could also increase the number of engineers in the long run.

"This clearly serves a public need," Plale said.

While the failure to pass the proposal is "disappointing," it will not kill the project, said Michael Switzenbaum, executive associate dean and a professor in the College of Engineering.

"It is going to happen," Switzenbaum said. "It just may take a little longer because of the economy."

The university planned to enact the $35 million first phase of construction through the potential $10 million in state funds, plus $25 million in private donations already received, Switzenbaum said.

This initial stage would result in construction of an 80,000-square-foot building that would not constitute the entire Discovery Learning Complex, Switzenbaum said. The structure would likely include the Discovery Learning Studio, a place for hands-on work by multi-disciplinary groups.

Among the funding recommended by the commission last week is $240 million over six years for projects at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, including a proposed new engineering complex.

While some legislators tried to pit Marquette's engineering center against its UW-Milwaukee counterpart, Plale said the projects would complement each other.

"A strength for one is a strength for the other," Plale said.

Despite recent funding setbacks, Wisconsin private colleges and universities have still fared well during the economic downturn, said Rolf Wegenke, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities, of which Marquette is a member.

Many projects at private schools are moving forward, such as construction of a new pharmacy school at Concordia University, Wegenke said.

While the recession may necessitate budget cuts and more caution with construction, every private school in Wisconsin is focusing on increasing student financial aid, Wegenke said. In fact, financial aid was the only sector in schools that grew steadily during the previous recession after Sept. 11, he said.

This is a tough time for private institutions, but Wegenke said they are a "confident group" overall.